Grimaldi's Tandem in the Comic Pantomine of the Golden Fish
Artist
William Heath
(British, 1795 - 1840)
Publisher
Thomas Palser
Datecirca 1812
MediumHand-color etching
DimensionsOverall: 9 1/2 x 13 in. (24.1 x 33 cm)
ClassificationsPrints
Object numberSN1546.135.9
The term clown, now so closely aligned with the circus performance, got its start with the Harlequinade, a comic genre of British theatre. The character Clown was a bumbling foil to the sly antics of the lead character, Harlequin. In 1800 British performer Joseph Grimaldi took on the role of Clown at Sadler’s Wells costumed in a brightly colored silk costume rather than the traditional servant’s wardrobe of the past. With Grimaldi’s comic talent and the new appearance, the character Clown became a dominant part of British pantomime and eventually evolved into the white-faced clowns we know today.
The Golden Fish was also titled Harlequin and Padmanabha, referring perhaps to an Indian Lord who had protected people from Tipo Sultan, a ruler in Southern India and an ardent opponent of British colonial policies of the time. This holiday pantomime production at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane was the first such play to include a living elephant. The elephant Chuny had been brought from India less than a year before. Chuny was displayed at Covent Gardens before being put on display in the menagerie at the Exeter Exchange in London.
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